Jounce bumpers are well known in the art and integrated into a vehicle suspension design. Jounce bumpers absorb impact and dampen noise, vibration, and harshness by preventing the articulated suspension components from fully compacting during shock impacts caused by heavy loads, potholes, curbs, or objects in the road. Jounce bumpers also act as a progressive compression spring under loads approaching full compression thereby offering a smooth ride and improved handling over a wide range of driving conditions. Previously known jounce bumpers have a generally spherical or elliptical shaped nose having an inner diameter generally matching the shape of the outer diameter of the nose. By way of example, a nose of the prior art includes an outer diameter (or surface) which is generally spherical shaped and an inner diameter mirroring the outer geometry. Accordingly, the overall thickness of the nose of the jounce bumper remains constant.
A jounce bumper of the prior art typically includes a spherical outer surface and a corresponding mirrored inner surface. The inner surface, or inner diameter, is also generally spherical. The thickness also remains constant between the outer surface and the inner surface. A derivative curve is used to assess the stiffness. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the performance of the jounce bumper of the prior art. The curve of FIGS. 1 and 2 depict a dramatic dip in the curve. It is desirable to make this curve as flat as possible to improve harshness and handling.
Other versions of the prior art discloses a jounce bumper having and elliptical type outer surface and an inner surface without any undercut. The inner surface, or inner diameter, may also be generally spherical. A derivative curve is used to assess the stiffness.
Load deflection curves are commonly created to assess the spring rate of the jounce bumper during compression of the jounce bumper. A derivative curve is used to assess the stiffness. FIGS. 1 and 2 of the prior art illustrates the performance of the jounce bumper of the prior art. The curve of FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrates a dramatic dip in the curve. It is desirable to make this curve as flat as possible to improve harshness and handling and to help retain optimum steering and handling over the wide range of road effects and velocity. However, existing jounce bumpers are not able to produce a flat curve. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to provide an improved jounce bumper providing for a generally flat stiffness curve.